Surf 'n cycle lifestyle at Victorian villa on Youghal's Front Strand
Maryville, Front Strand, Youghal (centre of pic)
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Youghal, East Cork |
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€400k-€450k |
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Size |
234 sq m (2519 sq ft) |
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Bedrooms |
6 |
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Bathrooms |
3 |
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BER |
Exempt |
THE quantum leap in transportation brought about by the advent of the railway was the gee-up needed for seaside towns such as Youghal, which responded by building villas designed to anchor visitors for longer periods.
The opening of a railway line to Youghal and Cobh in 1862 roughly coincides with the period in which Victorian villas were built along the former’s magnificent seafront. It was part of a wider building boom pushed by a London financier, David Leopold Lewis, who pumped money into the railway and had notions of turning Youghal into a kind-of ‘Brighton of Ireland’.
Along the Front Strand, villas had the strategic benefit of a south-facing seaward outlook and immediate access to the railway terminus to the east. The line itself ran right behind the garden wall. You could literally land on the track if you jumped it.
Army officers and other well-to-do individuals colonised these villas which provided comfortable upstairs/downstairs living (most are either two- or three-storey over basement). Given the resplendent sea view from all the front rooms and the singular splendor of living directly across the road from nature’s greatest frontier, these homes inevitably gained favour among the beau monde.
That world is long gone, as is the railway, which closed to passengers in 1963, and to freight in 1982.
While the railway closure was a huge blow to the masses who depended on it for decades as the only affordable way to escape Cork City for a weekend break, thankfully the trackbed remained in place. After decades of disuse, it’s finally up and running again, this time as a 23km greenway that goes all the way into Midleton.
Could this be the fillip the town needs to return it to the glory days of fashionable seaside resort? The omens are good: Just 10 days ago, the East Cork town celebrated the arrival of its very first cruise ship, with high hopes that there are many more on the horizon.
There’s an air of positivity in the town right now, which could bode well for the sale of Maryville, a Front Strand Victorian villa that has seen better days, but has the matchless allure of being a stone’s throw from the ocean.
For sure it’s a restoration project, but with the promise of a great expanse of golden sand and tumbling surf just beyond the garden gate, not to mention a terrific greenway to the rear.
The six-bedroom house (centre, above) is set for public auction on September 3. Auctioneer Noel Mackey expects it go for in the region of €400k-€450k.
He concedes that it may cost an additional €250k to renovate and upgrade but, “at the end of the day, you’ll have a home worth close to €1m,” he says.
Maryville, a listed building, is a generous 234sq m, two/three storey over-basement home, with an attic conversion and big bay windows in key reception rooms.
Apart from the beauty of the location — which is also near Youghal’s fabulous eco-boardwalk — it has direct access to the greenway via a door in the back garden wall.
Mr Mackey says all it needs is “the right person to restore it to its full potential”.
“We’ve had quite a lot of local interest, from people who know the area and are living abroad but are planning to return, and we’ve had enquiries from Dublin, as well as a bit of US interest,” Mr Mackey says.
Maryville will be sold by public auction on Wednesday, September 3, at 3pm at the Walter Raleigh Hotel in Youghal. Bidders must attend in person.
Feels like the stars are aligning for Youghal and Maryville is ideally positioned to capitalise on its improving fortunes. Unbeatable location. Worth the investment for lovers of the great outdoors.
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